Source: https://laverne.edu/2020-vision/vision-mission/ VISION & MISSION OF THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC ADVISING VISION Academic Advising at the University of La Verne aspires to become a pr
ADVISING INFORMATION Introduction
UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE MISSION STATEMENT
The University of La Verne delivers a distinctive and relevant educational experience to a diverse population of traditional-age students, adult learners, and graduate students It equips them for successful careers and fosters a lifelong commitment to learning across the liberal arts and professional programs.
The University upholds a value system that actively supports peace with justice, respect for individuals and humanity, and the health of the planet and its people, while encouraging students to reflect on personal, professional, and societal values that foster professional and social responsibility.
The University supports a diverse and inclusive environment where students recognize and benefit from the life experiences and viewpoints of other students, faculty and staff
At the University, intellectual curiosity and lifelong learning are central to its mission It equips students with the ability to learn how to learn, to think critically, and to conduct original research, while teaching them how to access and integrate information effectively This preparation supports ongoing personal and professional growth, ensuring graduates are ready to adapt and excel in a rapidly changing world.
The University asserts a commitment to improving and enhancing local, regional and global communities
(Source: https://laverne.edu/2020-vision/vision-mission/)
VISION & MISSION OF THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC ADVISING VISION
University of La Verne's Academic Advising program aims to be a premier nationally recognized system of effective advising, frequently cited as a best-practices institution that establishes standards of excellence in academic advising and directly supports student learning, academic success, retention, and timely graduation.
The Office of Academic Advising at the University of La Verne guides traditional undergraduate students in developing and implementing their educational plans By embracing developmental and appreciative advising, it supports a robust, collaborative advising cohort of faculty and professional advisers.
Advising at La Verne is a collaborative process between the advisor and the student that goes beyond course planning and selection to support the development of the whole person, including the pursuit of career and lifelong goals.
We uphold the principle that academic advisors work to reinforce the importance, dignity, potential, and unique identity of every person served within the academic setting, ensuring their worth is recognized and their paths to success are supported The work of advisors is guided by core beliefs that emphasize respect for each individual, a commitment to unlocking their potential, and a dedication to honoring their distinctive qualities within the learning community.
• Students can be successful because of their individual goals and efforts,
• Students have a desire to learn,
• Learning needs vary per individual skills, goals and experiences,
• Students hold their own beliefs and opinions,
• Students are active participants in the advising process,
• Students will think critically about their roles and responsibilities as scholars and as members of the
• Students and advisors assume shared responsibilities in the advising process However, the ultimate responsibility for decisions about educational, personal, or career goals rest with the individual student
We are committed to upholding professional and conceptual best practices in academic advising as reflected in our Mission and our association with NACADA (National Academic Advising Association)
We are dedicated to NACADA’s mission of promoting and supporting high-quality academic advising in higher education to foster students’ educational development, and we align with the CAS Standards established by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education to ensure consistent, outcomes-focused advising practices.
We are recognized as a best practices institution with NACADA’s (n.d.a) Clearinghouse for
Academic Advising Syllabi Our advising staff are active in their fields and often present at regional and national conferences
Designed as a concise, practical resource, this handbook provides essential information for good academic advising and is intended to support the University Catalog and related publications rather than replace them It is organized into sections that offer advisors theoretical and practical references on academic advising, along with fingertip resources that can be used during advising sessions to enhance student success and ensure consistent, informed guidance.
As you review this handbook, please send comments, concerns, revisions, corrections, and suggestions to the Office of Academic Advising, Woody Hall (x4510), or email advising@laverne.edu.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES
Developmental Advising is a systematic process rooted in a close student–advisor relationship that helps students achieve their educational, career, and personal goals It integrates the full range of institutional and community resources to tailor guidance and support to each learner’s needs Through ongoing conversations, goal setting, and proactive coaching, this approach guides students along a personalized path to success in academics and life.
Academic advising is essential for student success at the University of La Verne As advisors, we serve as the students’ primary link to the university’s curricular and co-curricular programs, guiding them through academic planning, personal development, and career exploration Our advising and teaching relationships engage students and are a vital factor in student retention, increasing their commitment to the university.
Academic advising is deeply anchored in the rich history of college student retention scholarship (Bean, 2005; Lang, 2001–2002; Tinto, 1993, 2005) While this handbook, by design, cannot capture the full depth and breadth of the academic advising and retention literatures, it can still honor that scholarship by acknowledging its relevance with a concise, focused review.
Historically, the literature on retention prior to the 1970s blamed the student for failing to persist or graduate, and colleges did not assume any responsibility for a student’s failure (Tinto, 1993, 2005) Since then, scholarship has shifted toward recognizing institutional roles in persistence, reframing retention as a shared responsibility and highlighting how college environments, supports, and policies influence students' ability to stay enrolled and complete their degrees.
1980s, increasing attention on institutional programming and interventions to improve freshman retention grew because of works by Astin (1977, 1984,
1985), Terenzini, Pascarella, Theophilides, and Lorang
(1985), Terenzini and Pascarella (1991), and Tinto
(1975, 1987, 1989) who advocated for institutional attention and intrusive interventions through curricular and co-curricular engagement of students
Institutional focus on college student retention starts in the freshman year, widely considered the most critical in retaining students (Terenzini&Pascarella, 1991; Durrington& Bacon, 1999;
Drawing on Mortenson (2005), this consensus pushes institutions to allocate material, financial, and human resources to first-year programs with the greatest potential to retain freshmen (Price, 2005), and to devote greater attention to academic advising scholarship (Habley, 2000).
Retention research is rich, and interventions across colleges are highly varied Tinto (2005) calls on researchers and institutions to prioritize documented success stories We know why college students fail (Tinto, 1993), but our understanding of the most effective retention practices remains incomplete even as the body of studies grows (Tinto, 2005) We have yet to identify and document all effective retention interventions to enrich the literature.
Colleges must cultivate a campus-wide mindset that retention is everyone’s business—embracing faculty, students, student affairs professionals, and staff in offices where academics or financial transactions take place (Farrell, 2009) While some cling to the old idea that “it is the students’ right to fail,” there have been positive strides across higher education to build buy-in for shared accountability The new paradigm focuses on granting access to students who merit an opportunity to attend college and, crucially, supporting them to succeed once they matriculate (Tinto, 2008).
Academic advising embodies an institutional mindset that proactive, intrusive support structures can help students succeed in college Crockett (1985) noted that advising is a mandatory, campus-wide program for all students, with strong potential to boost retention When grounded in research and best practices, effective advising dispels the notion that student failure is a right and reframes access and support as opportunities (Tinto, 2008) Conversely, even among talented students, a permissive administrator attitude to simply “get out of their way” risks stifling learning, implying that neglect is acceptable for naturally motivated students The decisions, policies, and campus culture we establish set the tone for how much students matter as scholars and individuals As Light (n.d.) notes, the simplest and initial step toward a strong advising experience is to build lasting relationships with students This guiding approach informs how the University of La Verne’s Office of Academic Advising delivers advising.
Academic Advising at the University of La Verne
At La Verne, academic advising encompasses multiple facets, blending technical expertise with clinical mentoring We are both technicians and advising clinicians, guiding students toward successful degree completion while supporting their maturation, development, and growth.
Achieving a degree is straightforward once the graduation requirements are clear, and the key is ensuring students make steady progress toward those requirements each semester using paper and online documents, degree evaluations, and other tracking tools Academic advisors are essential stewards of the university degree, critical in guiding advisees to graduate within four years by proactively engaging in dialogue and intentional planning They help students align their coursework with the established academic plan they have chosen and monitor progress to ensure timely degree completion.
An advising clinician adopts a student-centered approach, recognizing each learner as an individual An experienced academic advisor identifies students’ strengths and weaknesses and guides them toward degree completion while fostering maturation into La Verne graduates By aligning development in personal and career goals, satisfying degree requirements, and balancing curricular obligations with co-curricular interests, the advisor supports holistic college success The seasoned advisor tracks the courses students take each semester and notes where they excel or struggle, using that insight to tailor guidance Knowing the students’ career and academic goals, the advisor steers them toward courses that advance degree progress while cultivating professionalism and intellectual maturity.
Successful academic advisors draw on their knowledge and experience to guide and teach students, and they use the tools of the craft—the advising process—to help students meet degree requirements For example, the College of Arts & Science publishes academic student educational plans that map course sequencing for most majors over two or four years, and all advisors should use these plans to guide advisees toward a clear, quantifiable path to graduation Predictability and clarity in understanding and following academic requirements help students feel confident that a college degree is achievable, even as they recognize its challenge Plans should be adjusted for advanced freshmen or transfer students who are expected to earn degrees in less than four years These educational plans can be built in MyDegree Tracker using prebuilt templates and our Path to Graduation feature to customize each student’s plan Advanced planning helps advisees avoid costly mistakes such as missing units or requirements Every student should have an academic plan by the end of their first semester at La Verne, and these rubrics should be used as guidelines for advising.
“working” documents that change as academic plans change
Encourage your advisees to take ownership of their education, a key step in empowering them to achieve their goals A straightforward way to establish expectations is to adopt an advising syllabus, available online and in this document Feel free to personalize the syllabus to reflect your contact information, your expectations, and the standards of your academic department, ensuring students know how to reach you and what is required throughout their advising journey.
Our vision and mission statements, both online and in this document, are shaped by developmental advising (Crookston, 1972), which emphasizes mutual responsibilities between students and advisors and promotes strengths-based learning outcomes linked to effective advising experiences We are also guided by appreciative advising (Bloom, Hutson, & He, 2008), a principled approach that operationalizes advising outcomes to help students identify, articulate, and implement realistic course plans and goals in collaboration with their advisors.
OF ACADEMIC ADVISING AT LA VERNE
Academic advising is more than:
just the casual chat with a student,
discussing the lecture topic for the day with a student after class while walking down the hallway,
going over the test results with a student,
handing over the registration code without meeting, or
signing forms without discussion or consultation
Academic advising involves dedicating time to be with students, caring for them as individuals, and serving as their mentor and advocate It represents a deep commitment to teaching, because an advisor acts as a teacher in the fullest sense of the word In essence, advising is teaching, as Lowenstein (2005) notes.